1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wood splitting devices and, more particularly, to an adjustable, portable wood splitting apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Firewood from cut trees is used in fires all over the world on a daily basis. Whether the fire is for heating, lighting, general ambience or the like in a home or at a campsite, the wood must be cut and split for the fire. A common method of splitting the wood in the past has been with the use of a maul and a wedge or an ax. While this method has worked, it is not very accurate and can be tiring and dangerous for the user. Recent methods include the use of the hydraulic wood splitter powered by a gasoline engine. These however are noisy, consume natural resources and pollute the environment. Also, and perhaps most important, these hydraulic wood splitters are costly even to rent and are not available in all areas of the world.
Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which firewood can be split in a safe and easy manner with minimal impact on the environment. The development of the adjustable, portable wood splitting apparatus fulfills this need.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related. The following patents disclose a wood splitter mounted on a trailer or truck bed: U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,404 issued in the name of Kraemer et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,960 issued in the name of McCauley; U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,712 issued in the name of Hudson et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,111 issued in the name of Corey.
The following patents describe the design and function of a wood splitting maul: U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,097 issued in the name of Maine; U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,917 issued in the name of Maine; and U.S. Pat. No. D 378,656 issued in the name of Maine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,519 issued in the name of Forbes et al. discloses a wood splitting machine with a carriage and blade assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,537 issued in the name of Balkus describes an apparatus for splitting logs with a fulcrum pin.
Consequently, a need has been felt for providing a device which allows wood logs to be split into firewood using human strength alone with minimal impact on the environment in a manner which is quick, easy and efficient.